In 2004, the Briefs went on European tour without Lance Romance, who had stayed behind to get his GED. They took in his place bassist Steve Kicks of Vancouver's New Town Animals. Lance rejoined the line-up for the 2004 release party of Sex Objects, however retired from the band in 2005. Kicks has since become a permanent addition and was a full member for the follow up Steal Yer Heart.
Lyrically the Briefs have carried on many themes prevalent in `77 era punk rock. The Sex Objects single "Orange Alert" gained notoriety as a seething criticism of the Bush administration and the of the culture of fear in post-9/11 America. It is one of a number of songs critical of the U.S. Government, including "No More Presidents" and "Destroy The USA" from Sex Objects, and "We Americans" from Off the Charts. The band has written a number of love songs a consciously off kilter style similar to the Buzzcocks' "Orgasm Addict." Through songs like "Dolly Parton" the band has also shown a penchant for light-hearted absurdity.
The Briefs are currently on hiatus while Chris is in Germany and Daniel continues his quest towards becoming the world's littlest astronaut, training at a secret location underground, possibly in California. Nix and Kicks are both in a new band called Steve E. Nix and The Cute Lepers. They play a very similar style of music as The Briefs with some added power pop drive. They have released a 7" single for the songs "Terminal Boredom" backed with "Prove It" on 1-2-3-4 Go! Records. Two more singles are due on the europeon labels NFT and Drunk'n'Roll records.
Genital General
The Briefs Lyrics
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When you've no sexual appeal
When your big face looks like the mirror
Reflex (?)
Oh, girls won't pay
I know it'll stay
There's one thing to get out of the way
Escape you'll be a genital general
Oh..Oh..Oh..
Oh life's so lonely ain't it
There's nothing money can't buy
But you've got no money anyway, so why don't you try
Oh, got no booze
Oh, just rotten food
Here's one thing (..misuse?)
Don't wait you'll see, be a genital general
Just like me
Soon to be all by yourself
You don't need nobody else
Maybe next time, when you feel low
Now you've got the (?)
Any problem you can beat it
There's more to being brainless
No (?) never succeed
You're wacking so well, the (?) goes (?)
The one place you can get in for free
Oh, couldn't wait
Oh, to masturbate
(?)
Too bad, you'll be a general, genital general inmate
Genital general, genital general, genital general, genital
Genital General
The Briefs's song Genital General reflects on the theme of fame and what it is to be famous when one is devoid of sexual appeal. The first verse addresses the look of the famous person, how their big face looks in the mirror, and how that look doesn't get them what they want - the favor of women. The lyrics imply that even with fame, there's more to life, and not having sexual appeal can leave a person in a lonely and desperate situation. The second verse touches on the idea that money can't buy everything, and the singer doesn't have any money anyway, so they should try to be something else - a genital general, just like the person singing the song. The line "Soon to be all by yourself, you don't need nobody else" implies a feeling of isolation, but then the song shifts to a more confident refrain - "Any problem you can beat it" - indicating that while the singer may feel alone, they are still resilient enough to overcome any obstacle.
The third verse of the song talks about the idea of being brainless, not a smart or successful person. Despite that, the singer is great at something - masturbating, and that is the one place they can get in for free. The chorus again repeats the notion that the singer will be a genital general, but this time with the addition of the word inmate. The song seems to be poking fun at the idea of fame, questioning whether it's worth it if you can't get laid or have a fulfilling life beyond that. However, the repetition of the phrase "genital general" gives the song a catchy and almost anthemic quality, turning it into a fun punk-rock sing-along.
Line by Line Meaning
There's more to being famous
Being famous isn't just about having success and recognition
When you've no sexual appeal
But if you have no sexual appeal, that can hold you back from reaching true fame
When your big face looks like the mirror
If you're not attractive, you'll be constantly reminded of that fact
Reflex (?)
Not sure what this means, unable to provide a rewording
Oh, girls won't pay
Women won't pay attention to you if you're not attractive
I know it'll stay
This reality won't be changing anytime soon
There's one thing to get out of the way
Before fame can be achieved, one obstacle must first be overcome
Escape you'll be a genital general
If you can overcome this obstacle, you'll be able to enjoy fame as a 'genital general'
Oh life's so lonely ain't it
Life can be very lonely, especially if you're not attractive
There's nothing money can't buy
Money can buy a lot of things, but it can't buy you attractiveness
But you've got no money anyway, so why don't you try
Since you don't have money, why not try to achieve fame through other means?
Oh, got no booze
Without money, there's no way to obtain alcohol
Oh, just rotten food
You'll have to make do with whatever food you can afford
Here's one thing (..misuse?)
Unclear what this line means, unable to provide a rewording
Don't wait you'll see, be a genital general
Rather than waiting for things to improve, strive to become a 'genital general'
Just like me
The singer has achieved fame as a 'genital general'
Soon to be all by yourself
If you're not attractive, you may end up alone
You don't need nobody else
But you don't need anyone else as long as you have fame and recognition
Maybe next time, when you feel low
When you're feeling down, try to remember your fame and recognition
Now you've got the (?)
Unclear what this line means, unable to provide a rewording
Any problem you can beat it
With fame and recognition, there's no problem you can't overcome
There's more to being brainless
Being attractive may not require much intelligence
No (?) never succeed
Unclear what this line means, unable to provide a rewording
You're wacking so well, the (?) goes (?)
Unclear what this line means, unable to provide a rewording
The one place you can get in for free
One of the few things you can get for free is sexual pleasure
Oh, couldn't wait
Desire for sexual pleasure can be overwhelming
Oh, to masturbate
Masturbation is one way to obtain sexual pleasure
(?)
Unclear what this line means, unable to provide a rewording
Too bad, you'll be a general, genital general inmate
If all you can achieve is sexual pleasure and not true fame, you'll be stuck as a 'genital general' inmate
Genital general, genital general, genital general, genital
Repetition of the term 'genital general' for emphasis
Genital General
Title of the song, repetition for emphasis
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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